How many watts your well pump uses to start and run depends on how mush horsepower the motor has and your manufacturer’s specifications for that model.
Well pumps make it easy for households to have consistent access to clean well water, but they do require power and regular maintenance to operate effectively.
How many watts your well pump uses to start and to run will depend on your specific model, but averages and examples can help give you a more accurate idea.
The pros and cons of using a well pump
Well pumps are an excellent way to ensure that you always have access to clean water. Well pumps store water in a tank, which automatically refills as it empties to keep the air pressure at a certain level.
This means that your tank will always be filled and ready to transport water to your home if and when you need it.
Larger well pumps such as jet pumps and submersible pumps are complicated systems, and although this means that they work quite effectively, it also means that they can have some operational issues and require repairs from time to time.
How many watts does a well pump use?
When you are trying to figure out how many watts your well pump uses, it is easy to get confused between certain terms, such as horsepower (HP), starting and running wattage (W), amps (A), breaker size, and more, not to mention the fact that each individual unit has its own specifications for each of these categories.
Fortunately, if you want specific details or information about the electrical components of your well pump, well pump manufacturers include a label on above-ground pumps, like jet pumps, which will provide you with all of this information and more.
For submersible pumps, the process to find this label may be a bit more complicated and you may need a screwdriver to open the control box to view this label.
However, if you just want a general idea of how much power your well pump uses, it is important that you know how much horsepower your pump motor has, as this will help you determine the average amount of watts that it uses to start and run, as outlined below:
| Pump motor size (in HP) | Running wattage (in W) | Starting wattage (in W) |
| 1/3 | 750 – 800 | 1500 – 2400 |
| 1/2 | 900 – 1050 | 1800 – 3150 |
| 3/4 | 1500 – 1800 | 3000 – 5400 |
| 1 | 2000 – 2400 | 4000 – 7200 |
| 3 | 5000 – 5500 | 10000 – 16500 |
| 10 | 15000 – 16000 | 30000 – 48000 |
Understanding power metrics: Running Watts, Starting Watts, and Watt-Hours
| Metric | Description |
| Running Watts |
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| Starting Watts |
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| Watt-Hours |
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However, it is always the most accurate to look at the manufacturers’ specifications for your specific well pump, whether that be a jet pump, submersible pump, or another kind of pump.
How many watts do specific jet well pumps use?
Looking at examples of the wattages of specific jet well pump models can also help give you a more accurate idea of the wattage that your pump uses, such as:
| Specific jet pump model | Horsepower | Wattage | Where to buy |
| Lanchez 1030GPH Shallow Well Pump with Pressure Tank | 1.6 HP | 1200 W |  |
| Buy it on Amazon | |||
| Acquaer Shallow or Deep Well Jet Pump | 1 HP | 2000 W |  |
| Buy it on Amazon | |||
| Superior Pump 94525 Shallow Well Jet Pump | ½ HP | 736 W |  |
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| Acquaer Shallow/Deep Well Jet Pump | ¾ HP | 1449 W | |
| Buy it on Amazon |
This shows you how much each specific well pump may differ from the next and from the average values mentioned above.
How many watts do specific submersible well pumps use?
Different types of pumps may require more or less power to operate. Some specific examples of submersible well pumps and how many watts they use include:
| Specific submersible pump model | Horsepower (HP) | Wattage (W) | Where to buy |
| Happybuy Well Pump Submersible Well Pump | 3 HP | 1200 W |  |
| Buy it on Amazon | |||
| Hallmark Industries MA0414X-7A Deep Well Submersible Pump | 1 HP | 750 W |  |
| Buy it on Amazon | |||
| Red Lion 14942403 4-inch Submersible Deep Well Pump | ¾ HP | 1600 W |  |
| Buy it on Amazon |
Since there can be such a difference from one pump to the next, the most accurate way to find out how many watts your specific well pump actually uses is to use a watt meter to monitor the pump’s power usage over time.
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How many watts do other kinds of well pumps use?
Although jet pumps and submersible pumps are the most common type of well pumps used, there are also other kinds of well pumps. Centrifugal pumps are similar to jet pumps and they use a similar amount of power.
Lift pumps or manual pumps can also be used, but this type of pump does not need to be connected to an electrical point, and thus, it requires no actual electricity to function, only manual power.
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